For many pieces of power equipment where the speed of the engine or engagement of the power train is controlled by the movement of a control cable, there is often the problem of the control cable becoming loose from or "walking off" a pivotably mounted trigger or a lever arm actuator. This loosening problem has traditionally been solved by adding additional connecting structure at the end of the control cable to assure that the end of the control cable remains securely connected to the trigger or lever arm actuator. Such additional connecting structures have included "Z's," barrels and pockets, eyes and posts, slugs, or similar hardware to assure the security of the mechanical connection of the control cable to the trigger or lever arm actuator. These pieces of hardware are swagged or die cast on the end of the control cable to "lash up" to a trigger or lever arm actuator. While effective in holding the control cable to the trigger or lever arm actuator, the additional connecting hardware causes a small radius bend to occur in the control cable when a load is applied. This small radius bend in the control cable is due to frictional forces which do not allow the connecting structure of the control cable to pivot immediately within the lash up area when the lash up portion of a trigger is rotated through its arc about the trigger pivot point. A small radius bend in the control cable rapidly fatigues the control cable and will eventually alter the operating length of the control cable which then changes tolerance stack-up in the system. Such changes in tolerance stack-up due to an altered operating length and normal tolerance requirements of the lash up of multiple components can impede equipment performance and may even affect operator safety.
In some pieces of power equipment, the fatigue associated with the repeated bending movement of a stranded-wire control cable through a small radius bend becomes a significant problem as individual strands within the control cable break thus weakening the stranded wire control cable. To minimize or effectively eliminate this weakening of the control cable, it is desirable to spread the bend of the control cable over a larger area and over a larger bend radius to minimize or effectively eliminate the breakage of individual wires in the control cable.
In other pieces of power equipment the on-going effort of manufacturers to reduce both size and weight causes problems because of the additional connecting structure needed to assure a firm connection of the trigger with its associated control cable. This effort to reduce size and weight creates the need to provide a solid connection between control cables and their associated trigger or lever assemblies in a smaller space with fewer parts and less plastic material.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art to provide a system and method for securely mounting a control cable to a trigger or lever arm actuator on power equipment which will reduce control cable fatigue, minimize weakening of the control cable and occupy less space with less weight.